That feeling was extended to a week-long celebration in my second favorite city, Washington, D.C. — a home-game in the History League — And lo, the magic gushed up like fountains showering the city in love and soaking us in positive human accomplishment.

And of course I was in the middle of it, sending out daily dispatches from the front, and one of them struck the great writer and editor Holly George-Warren’s ears as she was working with Woodstock producer Michael Lang on his book.

The guy who envisioned and produced “Woodstock” — the concert that changed everything — used my words on the climactic page of his book about the festival.

Forty years later, the Wall Street Journal would refer to Obama’s inauguration as “Washington’s Woodstock.” Experiencing the joy in coming together with a million celebrants on the Mall in Washington, a blogger named Brian Hassett put it this way: “As it was happening, every single one of the people I met was beaming with joy. In terms of a crowd euphoric, the only thing I ever heard of that was like this was Woodstock in ’69. That changed our country a lot, but this time Woodstock was in the seat of power. Jimi’s ‘Star-Spangled Banner’ was the prelude, and a scant forty years later, here’s that scorching soul of new thinking actually overtaking the reins of government.”

from “The Road To Woodstock: From The Man Behind The Festival” by Michael Lang with Holly George-Warren.

12 responses so far ↓

You did a heroic job of reporting from the front. You should be proud — and it doesn’t surprise me at all that you ended up in books. But that you’re in a book about Woodstock is just too Brian-perfect! Well done, CentCom!

I was born at Woodstock! At least sort of. 😀
That you connected these two spiritual moments of Hope and Change in America is beautiful … and so YOU !!! Love Love Love!
Thank you for bringing both of them to life in my life!

Brian,
Your reports from the Inauguration were the best I read on it anywhere, by anybody. I forwarded them all around the world, and everyone in my office was talking about them every day. Thank you for being there and bringing it to life for all of us.
I hope by the next election there’s a whole book of your quotes.
Thanks again.